The year in classical music

Women in classical music got some due when conductor Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony performed music by Jennifer Higdon and Joan Tower. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Philharmonic Society of Orange County offered a money-back guarantee for conductor John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire at Romantique's performance of Beethoven's Ninth. which was the year's best marketing ploy. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Teenage pianist Conrad Tao was the most likable young soloist to perform in these parts in 2012. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Carl St. Clair had another strong year at the helm of the Pacific Symphony. DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Condcutor Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only had the best performance locally this year, but he was also the best interview Timothy Mangan had in 2012. TODD ROSENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY

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Composer Max Reger is the namesake of Timothy Mangan's first annual classical music awards. CENTRE DE MUSIQUE MEDIANE POUR VIKIPEDIA

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The cover of Cecilia Bartoli's "Mission" was the worst album artwork of 2012. DECCA

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Zubin Mehta not only marked the 50th anniversary of his debut as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but he also led the orchestra in a stirring tribute to his friend Ravi Shankar. CRAIG T. MATHEW, MATHEW IMAGING

"I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. Your review is in front of me. Soon, it will be behind me." – composer Max Reger, responding to a negative review.

It was a pretty good year. Classical music kept on going and we got to hear "Madama Butterfly" again, which is better than hara-kiri. Carl St.Clair's hair is still gray and Gustavo Dudamel's still curly. John Alexander launched his 41st season with the Pacific Chorale. Big names continued to include Orange County as a stop on their tours. Our car made it through another 12 months.

It's been a privilege for this critic, though we wouldn't turn down a raise. As a way to give thanks, we offer the first annual Reger Awards, named for the composer Max Reger, a huge fan of music critics. The Regers mark some of the high and low points in classical music here in Southern California this year. The exhausting adjudication process took months, after which we took a nap and flipped a coin. No prize monies will be dispersed to the winners.

Not So Golden Mike Award: To Ute Lemper, Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony for their excruciatingly amplified performance of Weill, Gershwin and Piaf.

Best Marketing Ploy: To the Philharmonic Society of Orange County for their money-back guarantee that trumpeted John Eliot Gardiner and company's performance of Beethoven's Ninth.

To Each His Own Award: To John Alexander and the Pacific Chorale for their season-opening revival of Mendelssohn's "Elijah."

Janus Prize: To Lang Lang, who, in a performance of two concertos with the Pacific Symphony, played like a god in Liszt and a dog in Beethoven.

Best Encore: To the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" at Soka University.

Women-in-Abundance Award: To Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony for performance of music by Jennifer Higdon and Joan Tower and some other guys.

Johnny Rotten Trophy: To John Eliot Gardiner, the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique and the Monteverdi Choir for turning Beethoven into a proto-punker.

Most Likable Young Soloist: To 18-year-old Conrad Tao for his exuberant account of Grieg's Piano Concerto and his aw-shucks bows.

Best Use of Celebrity Cash: To Alec Baldwin for his $1 million donation to the New York Philharmonic.

Best Tenor: To Brandon Jovanovich for his rich and graceful portrayal of Pinkerton in Los Angeles Opera's "Madama Butterfly."

Detritus Award: To the ill-informed Sacramento Press critic who wrote a review of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra calling it the Western Health Advantage Orchestra.

Most Surprising Pole Award: To Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic, who brought a piece by the sometime avant-garde composer Witold Lutoslawski to deepest, darkest Aliso Viejo.

It Could Have Been Sleepy But Wasn't: To Wu Han, David Finckel and Philip Setzer for bringing chamber music by Dvorák and Brahms to vigorous life.

Tartest Letter: To the reader who responded to a review of Mendelssohn's "Elijah" by calling yours truly "a parasite with high verbal skills."

Biggest Jones for the "Rite" Prize: To the folks at Decca who collaborated with their sister labels to produce a box set including 38 recordings of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring," which turns 100 in 2013.

Worst Record Cover: To Cecilia Bartoli and Decca (again) for "Mission."

Never Mind Medal: To Opera News, published by a support group of the Metropolitan Opera, which decided not to review Met performances, then, after an uproar, decided it would.

TMZ Award: To Joshua Bell for being featured on the celebrity website after an impersonator in a bath towel robbed his hotel room.

Peanuts Award: To Segerstrom Concert Hall for its $6 bag of nuts.

Most Delightful Interview: To the gracious, humble and engaging Riccardo Muti.

Blast from the Past Prize: To Pacific Symphony program annotator Michael Clive for reviving the word "blowfest" to describe the music of Tchaikovsky.

Less Would Have Been More Trophy: To composer John Adams for his wondrous and splendiferous oratorio "The Gospel According to the Other Mary," which nevertheless went on and on and on.

Best Revival of a Film Score: To Richard Kaufman and the Pacific Symphony, who performed Max Steiner's surprisingly subtle score to "Casablanca" live in sync with the film.

Best Tribute: To Zubin Mehta and the L.A. Philharmonic for their performance of "Nimrod" from Elgar's "Enigma Variations" in remembrance of Ravi Shankar.

Digging Out of a Hole Prize: To Los Angeles Opera for paying off a $14 million loan that was backed by the County. (Gee, why didn't Opera Pacific do this?)

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